Past
The Ebonites were founded almost a millenia ago upon principles that they have never forgotten, and never surrendered. Founded in the shrouded past, the Ebonites were formed by a band of warriors that fought against a Dark God until, with the help of a wise man, they trapped it in a stone, which turned deep black. The survivors were charged with protecting the stone and keeping the being trapped inside for all time. Years later, a powerful sorcerer was inducted into their numbers and examined the Stone, trying to learn its secrets. After several years of intense study, the man came up with a ritual meant to tap into a small portion of the stone’s power, and in return give a small portion of the person conducting the ritual. The sorcerer conducted the ritual on himself, becoming the first Principle. He gives up his name, which has been lost to history, and is only referred to as Will.
The Ebonites soon came into conflict with a group known as the Cult of Ruhmal. One who had failed their test informed the worshippers of Kali-Ma the secrets of the Order, and the Cult of Ruhmal decided that the stone contained a servant of their dark goddess. They launched a terrible assault on the Ebonites and a war that would last into the modern age began. The Ebonites and the Cult of Ruhmal would continue their war intermittently across decades and the entirety of the Ivory Kingdoms. Eventually, fearing that the increasing attacks the Cult may take the Ebon Stone itself, the leaders of the Ebonites create a plan to save the stone. The Ebonites launch a massive assault against every stronghold of the Cult of Ruhmal that is referred to by some as the Night of Blood, and to others as the Exodus. The Ebonites suffer terrible casualties from the assault, but it distracts the Ruhmali long enough that the Principles and their most trusted lieutenants are able to secret the Ebon Stone away from the Ivory Kingdoms and into the Burning Sands.
The Ebonites find that the Burning Sands are an odd place, though the people are generally welcoming to the Ebonites that have been thrown from their home. The Caliph is another matter entirely however. The rigorous Code of the Ebonites puts them at odds with the Immortal Caliph constantly and it is only careful diplomacy on both sides that keeps the Ebonites from warring with the Immortal Caliph. They remain mortal enemies however. During the Awakening, the eternal duty of the Ebonites ended. The creature trapped in the Ebon Stone broke free, revealing itself as Khayel, a large piece of the Nothing. The Ebonites join in the fight against the Erb’a Alliance to defend the city and then join the battle against the Jinn Lord Kaleel, where one of their number was instrumental in his defeat.
Present
Like many, the Ebonites were left in a weakened state after the Shattering of the Jewel. Still, they did not give up on their duties and played an important role in keeping the city stable while it recovered. For their efforts, the new Caliph granted them the right to act as official law enforcers within the city. The act comes as a surprise to few, but it is still an unprecedented move that allows those outside the direct control of the city to enforce it’s laws. Some notice however that it ties the Ebonites into the city even more, not only giving them a renewed purpose, but ingraining them into the society so they would be less likely to attempt to move on.
The Ebonites find that although their vigil of the Ebon Stone has ended, their purpose has not. They were still needed to fight against evil and injustice in the world and though Khayel had broken free a piece of the Ebon Stone remained, still holding a piece of the creature that had been locked inside. It was at this time that their old nemesis crossed the desert, pushed out of the Ivory Kingdoms themselves, the Cult of Ruhmal fled to Medinaat al-Salaam to recover from the disaster that had struck them. Once the Ebonites had realized the Cult was back in the city, they began a campaign against them, aiming to destroy the Cult of Ruhmal once and for all. In a series of strikes, the Ebonites crushed the cultist cells in the city, ending in single combat between Judgement and the leader of the Cultists. Though the Cult in the Burning Sands had been almost entirely annihilated, it had survived in the Ivory Kingdoms, a fact which would come into play a decade later.
When trouble began in the Ivory Kingdoms, word first got to the Burning Sands through the Ebonite contacts in that area. A wave of assassinations had eliminated much of the ruling class of the Ivory Kingdoms and massive civil unrest was brewing. Just a short time later the Ebonites lose all contact with their allies in the Ivory Kingdoms. The Principles of put together a heavily armed expedition that is sent to the Ivory Kingdoms to discover what happened. By the time the expedition is ready to leave they encounter the first wave of refugees fleeing North who describe terrible events and blood filled skies where monsters rule the land, sea, and sky. The Ebonites point the refugees in the direction of the City and continue their journey, certain now that they will be facing an enemy they have never faced before. For three years the Ebonites fought in the Ivory Kingdoms, sending additional waves of refugees up to Medinaat al-Salaam and it’s surrounding cities. It was two years before the next, and last, caravan arrived.
The Battle of the Last Caravan was, by most accounts, a bloody though by most standards small affair, with only 15,000 men and women from the three principal members of the Task Force. With two Principles and a Yodotai Legate on the field, the Ebonite led Task Force managed to win the field, killing one of Kali-Ma’s Progeny and nearly killing her general, Ramil, in the process. The Ebonites realized however that the fighting was only just beginning and have been looking for allies in their fight. The Ra’shari and Yodotai have both proven close ties, the Ra’shari through offering some of their own up for training, the Yodotai through the intriguing influx of Yodotai blooded members into the order in recent years.
The Ebonites, led by Judgement himself, decided to go to the Rokugani, looking for what they were certain was going to be an ally in the fight against Kali-Ma. What they discovered was a war-torn nation of starving peasants and angry samurai and internal politics between the Unicorn and the Lion led to the Ebonites leaving in frustration that neither side could see the true enemy that was in front of them. Returning to Rokugan, their mission a failure for the most part, the Ebonites have been encouraged only by news that the Ivindi have quarter has finally been completed.
Future
The Ebonites continue to make preparation for the fight they expect is coming, but as of yet nothing major has come up from the South. What few scouting parties there are have been successfully repelled by the Ra’shari. Their recent squabble with Rokugan has soured somewhat the hope that the Ebonites had that they would be able to open up a new front against the enemy, but they promise they will endure.
Leaders
Judgment: The leader of the Ebonites and the second man to carry his name. The white mask he wears is exceedingly simple, showing only the general features of a stern, strong-jawed man. The mask never betrays any emotion, just as he would never to give into emotion; judgment is impassionate and impartial. It has no room for anger or sadness.
Already greatly concerned with the events that have consumed the Ivory Kingdoms, news of the manuscript has only put more on this aged leader's plate. He is presently deliberating exactly what the Order should do in this case.
Valor: Once known as the Yodajin Templar, he was the only Yodotai of his generation of join the Order of the Ebon Hand. Discarding his name, he dedicated himself his duties. It was the dedication that allowed him to advance through the ranks of the Crusaders and become the Principle called Valor.
Although he secretly believes that he only achieved his current position because so many Ebonites died during the Awakening, Valor doesn't let it distract him from doing his duty. Valor recently returned with what was left of the Ebonite Expedition into the former Ivory Kingdoms. His experience battling the forces of Kali-Ma will no doubt be of great use in future conflicts.
Compassion: Once a Daughter of the Mountain, this Principle found her true calling among the Ebonites. Her path to this new life began when she was ambushed by a merchant she'd been sent to kill. She only escaped death at the hands of his bodyguards by leaping from a window. Badly injured and not quite in her right mind, she wandered the darkened alleys of Medinaat Al-Salaam. It was here that an Ebonite templar found her, and nursed her back to health. During this time of recovery, they spoke often, and the Assassin found herself becoming more interested in the code of the Ebonites. Her near-death experience had changed her. She wasn't sure if the path of the Assassin was hers to walk anymore.
Knowing that she'd likely would've been killed for having failed to kill her target, she decided to remain with the Ebonite who saved her. In time, she became an applicant, determined to find her place among the Order. She turned her training as a killer towards the preservation of life. When she passed the Test of the Ebon stone and became a Principle, Compassion had been her way for many years. Now she is one of the voices for moderation in the Order's war against darkness, holding out hope that some may yet be saved as she was.
Vengeance: The oldest of the Principles, she has served the Order since before the Awakening, and became the guardian of the Ebon Stone in the wake of those events. Now in her late 70's, the Ebonite knows she is nearing the end of her life. But Vengeance has vowed she will not die until she is sure that the Stone is safe.
To that end, she has been looking among the current group of Crusaders for a worthy successor to her title and position. So far none has met the old woman's standards.
History
PastThe Ebonites were founded almost a millenia ago upon principles that they have never forgotten, and never surrendered. Founded in the shrouded past, the Ebonites were formed by a band of warriors that fought against a Dark God until, with the help of a wise man, they trapped it in a stone, which turned deep black. The survivors were charged with protecting the stone and keeping the being trapped inside for all time. Years later, a powerful sorcerer was inducted into their numbers and examined the Stone, trying to learn its secrets. After several years of intense study, the man came up with a ritual meant to tap into a small portion of the stone’s power, and in return give a small portion of the person conducting the ritual. The sorcerer conducted the ritual on himself, becoming the first Principle. He gives up his name, which has been lost to history, and is only referred to as Will.
The Ebonites soon came into conflict with a group known as the Cult of Ruhmal. One who had failed their test informed the worshippers of Kali-Ma the secrets of the Order, and the Cult of Ruhmal decided that the stone contained a servant of their dark goddess. They launched a terrible assault on the Ebonites and a war that would last into the modern age began. The Ebonites and the Cult of Ruhmal would continue their war intermittently across decades and the entirety of the Ivory Kingdoms. Eventually, fearing that the increasing attacks the Cult may take the Ebon Stone itself, the leaders of the Ebonites create a plan to save the stone. The Ebonites launch a massive assault against every stronghold of the Cult of Ruhmal that is referred to by some as the Night of Blood, and to others as the Exodus. The Ebonites suffer terrible casualties from the assault, but it distracts the Ruhmali long enough that the Principles and their most trusted lieutenants are able to secret the Ebon Stone away from the Ivory Kingdoms and into the Burning Sands.
The Ebonites find that the Burning Sands are an odd place, though the people are generally welcoming to the Ebonites that have been thrown from their home. The Caliph is another matter entirely however. The rigorous Code of the Ebonites puts them at odds with the Immortal Caliph constantly and it is only careful diplomacy on both sides that keeps the Ebonites from warring with the Immortal Caliph. They remain mortal enemies however. During the Awakening, the eternal duty of the Ebonites ended. The creature trapped in the Ebon Stone broke free, revealing itself as Khayel, a large piece of the Nothing. The Ebonites join in the fight against the Erb’a Alliance to defend the city and then join the battle against the Jinn Lord Kaleel, where one of their number was instrumental in his defeat.
Present
Like many, the Ebonites were left in a weakened state after the Shattering of the Jewel. Still, they did not give up on their duties and played an important role in keeping the city stable while it recovered. For their efforts, the new Caliph granted them the right to act as official law enforcers within the city. The act comes as a surprise to few, but it is still an unprecedented move that allows those outside the direct control of the city to enforce it’s laws. Some notice however that it ties the Ebonites into the city even more, not only giving them a renewed purpose, but ingraining them into the society so they would be less likely to attempt to move on.
The Ebonites find that although their vigil of the Ebon Stone has ended, their purpose has not. They were still needed to fight against evil and injustice in the world and though Khayel had broken free a piece of the Ebon Stone remained, still holding a piece of the creature that had been locked inside. It was at this time that their old nemesis crossed the desert, pushed out of the Ivory Kingdoms themselves, the Cult of Ruhmal fled to Medinaat al-Salaam to recover from the disaster that had struck them. Once the Ebonites had realized the Cult was back in the city, they began a campaign against them, aiming to destroy the Cult of Ruhmal once and for all. In a series of strikes, the Ebonites crushed the cultist cells in the city, ending in single combat between Judgement and the leader of the Cultists. Though the Cult in the Burning Sands had been almost entirely annihilated, it had survived in the Ivory Kingdoms, a fact which would come into play a decade later.
When trouble began in the Ivory Kingdoms, word first got to the Burning Sands through the Ebonite contacts in that area. A wave of assassinations had eliminated much of the ruling class of the Ivory Kingdoms and massive civil unrest was brewing. Just a short time later the Ebonites lose all contact with their allies in the Ivory Kingdoms. The Principles of put together a heavily armed expedition that is sent to the Ivory Kingdoms to discover what happened. By the time the expedition is ready to leave they encounter the first wave of refugees fleeing North who describe terrible events and blood filled skies where monsters rule the land, sea, and sky. The Ebonites point the refugees in the direction of the City and continue their journey, certain now that they will be facing an enemy they have never faced before. For three years the Ebonites fought in the Ivory Kingdoms, sending additional waves of refugees up to Medinaat al-Salaam and it’s surrounding cities. It was two years before the next, and last, caravan arrived.
The Battle of the Last Caravan was, by most accounts, a bloody though by most standards small affair, with only 15,000 men and women from the three principal members of the Task Force. With two Principles and a Yodotai Legate on the field, the Ebonite led Task Force managed to win the field, killing one of Kali-Ma’s Progeny and nearly killing her general, Ramil, in the process. The Ebonites realized however that the fighting was only just beginning and have been looking for allies in their fight. The Ra’shari and Yodotai have both proven close ties, the Ra’shari through offering some of their own up for training, the Yodotai through the intriguing influx of Yodotai blooded members into the order in recent years.
The Ebonites, led by Judgement himself, decided to go to the Rokugani, looking for what they were certain was going to be an ally in the fight against Kali-Ma. What they discovered was a war-torn nation of starving peasants and angry samurai and internal politics between the Unicorn and the Lion led to the Ebonites leaving in frustration that neither side could see the true enemy that was in front of them. Returning to Rokugan, their mission a failure for the most part, the Ebonites have been encouraged only by news that the Ivindi have quarter has finally been completed.
Future
The Ebonites continue to make preparation for the fight they expect is coming, but as of yet nothing major has come up from the South. What few scouting parties there are have been successfully repelled by the Ra’shari. Their recent squabble with Rokugan has soured somewhat the hope that the Ebonites had that they would be able to open up a new front against the enemy, but they promise they will endure.
Leaders
Judgment: The leader of the Ebonites and the second man to carry his name. The white mask he wears is exceedingly simple, showing only the general features of a stern, strong-jawed man. The mask never betrays any emotion, just as he would never to give into emotion; judgment is impassionate and impartial. It has no room for anger or sadness.Already greatly concerned with the events that have consumed the Ivory Kingdoms, news of the manuscript has only put more on this aged leader's plate. He is presently deliberating exactly what the Order should do in this case.
Valor: Once known as the Yodajin Templar, he was the only Yodotai of his generation of join the Order of the Ebon Hand. Discarding his name, he dedicated himself his duties. It was the dedication that allowed him to advance through the ranks of the Crusaders and become the Principle called Valor.
Although he secretly believes that he only achieved his current position because so many Ebonites died during the Awakening, Valor doesn't let it distract him from doing his duty. Valor recently returned with what was left of the Ebonite Expedition into the former Ivory Kingdoms. His experience battling the forces of Kali-Ma will no doubt be of great use in future conflicts.
Compassion: Once a Daughter of the Mountain, this Principle found her true calling among the Ebonites. Her path to this new life began when she was ambushed by a merchant she'd been sent to kill. She only escaped death at the hands of his bodyguards by leaping from a window. Badly injured and not quite in her right mind, she wandered the darkened alleys of Medinaat Al-Salaam. It was here that an Ebonite templar found her, and nursed her back to health. During this time of recovery, they spoke often, and the Assassin found herself becoming more interested in the code of the Ebonites. Her near-death experience had changed her. She wasn't sure if the path of the Assassin was hers to walk anymore.
Knowing that she'd likely would've been killed for having failed to kill her target, she decided to remain with the Ebonite who saved her. In time, she became an applicant, determined to find her place among the Order. She turned her training as a killer towards the preservation of life. When she passed the Test of the Ebon stone and became a Principle, Compassion had been her way for many years. Now she is one of the voices for moderation in the Order's war against darkness, holding out hope that some may yet be saved as she was.
Vengeance: The oldest of the Principles, she has served the Order since before the Awakening, and became the guardian of the Ebon Stone in the wake of those events. Now in her late 70's, the Ebonite knows she is nearing the end of her life. But Vengeance has vowed she will not die until she is sure that the Stone is safe.
To that end, she has been looking among the current group of Crusaders for a worthy successor to her title and position. So far none has met the old woman's standards.